Sep. 13, 2024
Anna Ivanova, assistant professor in the School of Psychology, was recently named to the MIT Technology Review’s 35 Innovators Under 35 for 2024 for her work on language processing in the human brain and artificial intelligence applications.
A key pillar of Ivanova’s work involves large language models (LLM) commonly used in artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT. By approaching the study of LLMs with cognitive science techniques, Ivanova hopes to bring us closer to more functional AIs — and a better understanding of the brain.
“I am happy that, these days, language and human cognition are topics that the world cares deeply about, thanks to recent developments in AI,” says Ivanova, who is also a member of Georgia Tech’s Neuro Next Initiative, a burgeoning interdisciplinary research hub for neuroscience, neurotechnology, and society. “Not only are these topics important, but they are also fun to study.”
Learn more about Ivanova’s research.
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Audra Davidson
Communications Program Manager
Neuro Next Initiative
Sep. 10, 2024
Digital media Ph.D. candidate Yuchen Zhao’s startup aims to revolutionize fitness with VR and biofeedback integration in her startup, BioVR.
Business administration major Ty Christian Thompson and biomedical engineering major Sydney Brown developed their startup, DivineDrive, to maximize hydration and energy while minimizing the risk of injury due to dehydration.
To tackle the issue of too much screen time for kids, Georgia Tech School of Industrial Design research assistant Palak Gupta created Fidgital-Play, a mobile app that reimagines play.
Georgia Tech structural mechanics and materials alumna Katy Bradford and co-founder Jonathan Valz created their Cassette panels to reduce labor needs and construction timelines.
Katy Bradford
Tackling the problem of expensive testing for hospital-acquired infections, Danae Rammos, biomedical engineering major, founded Qualitic Biotechnology LLC, which produces a rapid C. difficile bacterial screening device.
Kicking off a new decade of startup production at Georgia Tech, CREATE-X hosted its 11th Demo Day, showcasing 100 startups created by Georgia Tech students, faculty, researchers, and alumni over 12 weeks this summer. More than 1,500 attendees, including Georgia government and business leaders, viewed new solutions ranging from fashion to healthcare in a bustling Exhibition Hall on Aug. 29.
The event traditionally begins shortly after the semester starts, giving the entrepreneurially curious a preview of what’s to come if they join the program’s accelerator during the next application cycle.
Demo Day is the culmination of the 12-week summer accelerator, Startup Launch, where founders receive mentorship, $5,000 in optional funding, and $150,000 in services to help build their businesses. Teams can be interdisciplinary, made up of co-founders even outside of Georgia Tech, and solopreneurs, ready to solve real-world problems.
Each year, Startup Launch has grown, from an initial cohort of eight startups to over 100 this year. The Office of Commercialization, the home of CREATE-X, plans to keep expanding opportunities for the Georgia Tech community to grow their entrepreneurial skills.
Counting courses, events, programming, and partnerships, CREATE-X has had more than 32,000 participants. The ultimate goal and mission of the program is to instill entrepreneurial confidence in all Tech students. Rahul Saxena, director of the program, spoke about how far the Institute has come in the last decade.
“I’ve been plugged into Georgia Tech for over 10 years. In the past, when you said Georgia Tech and entrepreneurship in the same sentence, they’d laugh, believe it or not,” he said. “Fast-forward, we’re one of the top entrepreneurial schools in the country. Our first four cohorts value over $100 million, with one of them being a unicorn, and our last four cohorts are well on their way. We want our students to have as many shots at gold as possible before they graduate. And even if they decide on a traditional career pathway, we believe they’ll be ahead with this entrepreneurial mindset, which is something lacking in corporate.”
This year, CREATE-X reached over 560 startup teams launched. Founders represented 38 academic majors, and their total startup portfolio valuation exceeds $2 billion.
CREATE-X opened its Startup Launch application for its next cohort on Aug. 30. For those interested, the priority deadline is Nov. 17. Early applicants have a higher chance at acceptance and the opportunity for more feedback. So, send in your applications to Startup Launch and become the next founder at Georgia Tech.
Missed out on Demo Day? Check out the CREATE-X Flickr page to see photos from the event and the Demo Day page to see other teams. For more opportunities to engage, visit the CREATE-X Engage page for upcoming events.
Spotlight on Startups
Some of the standout startups from this year’s Demo Day include:
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Breanna Durham
Marketing Strategist
Sep. 10, 2024
In his 25-plus years at Georgia Tech, Regents' Professor Tim Liuewen earned his master's and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering (1996 and 1999, respectively) and has held multiple leadership positions. On September 10, 2024, Lieuwen stepped into his latest role as interim executive vice president for Research (EVPR).
In a new interview, Lieuwen outlines his EVPR goals and priorities, including a people-first approach, and details the importance of showing Georgia Tech's impact — not just nationally and globally, but also to the state of Georgia and the Southeast.
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Shelley Wunder-Smith
Director of Research Communications
shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu
Sep. 04, 2024
The typically tedious and monotonous job of scanning documents is getting a bit easier, thanks to new research from Georgia Tech School Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Professor David Citrin.
Current bulk digital scanners can accept stacks of unsorted documents, but the task would be greatly sped up if the scanner could know how many sheets of paper are in the stack and if paper clips, staples, or other obstructions are present before the automated sorting began.
The team, which includes co-authors Min Zhai, a recently graduated ECE Ph.D. student now at Shenzhen University, China, and ECE Adjunct Professor Alexandre Locquet, recently won the European Optical Society (EOS) Prize for this research in their paper, “Terahertz Nondestructive Stratigraphic Reconstruction of Paper Stacks Based on Adaptive Sparse Deconvolution.”
Citrin, who joined ECE in 2001, is a renowned expert in Terahertz (THz) technology.
“The idea for the research was born out of a problem faced by numerous companies and government agencies: scanning warehouses full of legacy documents and other important paper records,” said Citrin, who conducts his research both at the Atlanta Campus and out of Georgia Tech-Europe (GT-E).
Citrin and his Terahertz Laboratory team used time-domain THz techniques with advanced signal processing to count the number of sheets in a stack of paper and simultaneously measure the thicknesses of the paper sheets in a nondestructive and noncontact fashion.
THz electromagnetic waves are high frequency waves equal to a trillion hertz with wavelengths ranging from three millimeters down to 30 micrometers long between 100 GHz and 10 THz.
The process works by sending a short THz pulse onto a stack of paper and then looking at the various time-delayed “echoes” reflected from individual sheets of paper in the stack. Using applied signal-processing approaches they were able to obtain the desired information.
“So far, we’ve been able to count sheets of paper in stacks of up to 20 but are working on increasing that number,” said Citrin. “The end goal is to one day incorporate 3D terahertz imaging capability into future-generation paper-sorting technologies at a much larger scale.”
He and his team will receive the award at the EOS Annual Meeting on September 13, 2024, in Naples, Italy.
He’s previously utilized THz imaging to reveal the secrets of 17th-century artists by peering through layers of pigment and to look beneath the corroded surface of a 16th-century lead funerary cross.
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Zachary Winiecki
Sep. 03, 2024
The Institute for Matter and Systems (IMS) has received $700,000 in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for two education and outreach programs.
The awards will support the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Experience for Teachers (RET) programs at Georgia Tech. The REU summer internship program provides undergraduate students from two- and four-year programs the chance to perform cutting-edge research at the forefront of nanoscale science and engineering. The RET program for high school teachers and technical college faculty offers a paid opportunity to experience the excitement of nanotechnology research and to share this experience in their classrooms.
“This NSF funding allows us to be able to do more with the programs,” said Mikkel Thomas, associate director for education and outreach. “These are programs that have existed in the past, but we haven’t had external funding for the last three years. The NSF support allows us to do more — bring more students into the program or increase the RET stipends.”
In addition to the REU and RET programs, IMS offers short courses and workshops focused on professional development, instructional labs for undergraduate and graduate students, a certificate for veterans in microelectronics and nano-manufacturing, and community engagement activities such as the Atlanta Science Festival.
News Contact
Amelia Neumeister | Communications Program Manager
Aug. 30, 2024
The Cloud Hub, a key initiative of the Institute for Data Engineering and Science (IDEaS) at Georgia Tech, recently concluded a successful Call for Proposals focused on advancing the field of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). This initiative, made possible by a generous gift funding from Microsoft, aims to push the boundaries of GenAI research by supporting projects that explore both foundational aspects and innovative applications of this cutting-edge technology.
Call for Proposals: A Gateway to Innovation
Launched in early 2024, the Call for Proposals invited researchers from across Georgia Tech to submit their innovative ideas on GenAI. The scope was broad, encouraging proposals that spanned foundational research, system advancements, and novel applications in various disciplines, including arts, sciences, business, and engineering. A special emphasis was placed on projects that addressed responsible and ethical AI use.
The response from the Georgia Tech research community was overwhelming, with 76 proposals submitted by teams eager to explore this transformative technology. After a rigorous selection process, eight projects were selected for support. Each awarded team will also benefit from access to Microsoft’s Azure cloud resources..
Recognizing Microsoft’s Generous Contribution
This successful initiative was made possible through the generous support of Microsoft, whose contribution of research resources has empowered Georgia Tech researchers to explore new frontiers in GenAI. By providing access to Azure’s advanced tools and services, Microsoft has played a pivotal role in accelerating GenAI research at Georgia Tech, enabling researchers to tackle some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities in this rapidly evolving field.
Looking Ahead: Pioneering the Future of GenAI
The awarded projects, set to commence in Fall 2024, represent a diverse array of research directions, from improving the capabilities of large language models to innovative applications in data management and interdisciplinary collaborations. These projects are expected to make significant contributions to the body of knowledge in GenAI and are poised to have a lasting impact on the industry and beyond.
IDEaS and the Cloud Hub are committed to supporting these teams as they embark on their research journeys. The outcomes of these projects will be shared through publications and highlighted on the Cloud Hub web portal, ensuring visibility for the groundbreaking work enabled by this initiative.
Congratulations to the Fall 2024 Winners
- Annalisa Bracco | EAS "Modeling the Dispersal and Connectivity of Marine Larvae with GenAI Agents" [proposal co-funded with support from the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems]
- Yunan Luo | CSE “Designing New and Diverse Proteins with Generative AI”
- Kartik Goyal | IC “Generative AI for Greco-Roman Architectural Reconstruction: From Partial Unstructured Archaeological Descriptions to Structured Architectural Plans”
- Victor Fung | CSE “Intelligent LLM Agents for Materials Design and Automated Experimentation”
- Noura Howell | LMC “Applying Generative AI for STEM Education: Supporting AI literacy and community engagement with marginalized youth”
- Neha Kumar | IC “Towards Responsible Integration of Generative AI in Creative Game Development”
- Maureen Linden | Design “Best Practices in Generative AI Used in the Creation of Accessible Alternative Formats for People with Disabilities”
- Surya Kalidindi | ME & MSE “Accelerating Materials Development Through Generative AI Based Dimensionality Expansion Techniques”
- Tuo Zhao | ISyE “Adaptive and Robust Alignment of LLMs with Complex Rewards”
News Contact
Christa M. Ernst - Research Communications Program Manager
christa.ernst@research.gatech.edu
Aug. 30, 2024
W. Hong Yeo is leading a $3 million NSF research training program to develop a new generation of engineers focused on creating sustainable medical devices.
Georgia Tech researcher W. Hong Yeo has been awarded a $3 million grant to help develop a new generation of engineers and scientists in the field of sustainable medical devices.
“The workforce that will emerge from this program will tackle a global challenge through sustainable innovations in device design and manufacturing,” said Yeo, Woodruff Faculty Fellow and associate professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University.
The funding, from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Training (NRT) program, will address the environmental impacts resulting from the mass production of medical devices, including the increase in material waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
Under Yeo’s leadership, the Georgia Tech team comprises multidisciplinary faculty: Andrés García (bioengineering), HyunJoo Oh (industrial design and interactive computing), Lewis Wheaton (biology), and Josiah Hester (sustainable computing). Together, they’ll train 100 graduate students, including 25 NSF-funded trainees, who will develop reuseable, reliable medical devices for a range of uses.
“We plan to educate students on how to develop medical devices using biocompatible and biodegradable materials and green manufacturing processes using low-cost printing technologies,” said Yeo. “These wearable and implantable devices will enhance disease diagnosis, therapeutics, rehabilitation, and health monitoring.”
Students in the program will be challenged by a comprehensive, multidisciplinary curriculum, with deep dives into bioengineering, public policy, physiology, industrial design, interactive computing, and medicine. And they’ll get real-world experience through collaborations with clinicians and medical product developers, working to create devices that meet the needs of patients and care providers.
The Georgia Tech NRT program aims to attract students from various backgrounds, fostering a diverse, inclusive environment in the classroom — and ultimately in the workforce.
The program will also introduce a new Ph.D. concentration in smart medical devices as part of Georgia Tech's bioengineering program, and a new M.S. program in the sustainable development of medical devices. Yeo also envisions an academic impact that extends beyond the Tech campus.
“Collectively, this NRT program's curriculum, combining methods from multiple domains, will help establish best practices in many higher education institutions for developing reliable and personalized medical devices for healthcare,” he said. “We’d like to broaden students' perspectives, move past the current technology-first mindset, and reflect the needs of patients and healthcare providers through sustainable technological solutions.”
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Jerry Grillo
Aug. 29, 2024
Between revitalized investments in America’s manufacturing infrastructure and an increased focus on AI and automation, the U.S. is experiencing a manufacturing renaissance. A key focus of this resurgence lies in improving the resiliency of supply chains in the U.S., particularly in crucial sectors like defense.
“If we were to suddenly have a seismic shift in defense manufacturing needs,” asks Aaron Stebner, professor and Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. Chair in Manufacturing in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, “do we have the supply chain and manufacturers who could meet that sudden increase in demand? How do we do that in a way that’s sustainable for long periods of time as a nation if that need arises?”
The Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI) officially launched the Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium in 2023 to address that need. Designed to form a network of engaged manufacturers from across the country, the Consortium serves as a key connection point between Georgia Tech and industry partners — and as fertile ground for collaborative innovation.
“By bringing us all together,” says Stebner, who serves on the board of the Consortium, “we can do bigger, more meaningful things and find unique ways and opportunities to get money flowing back to the companies and Georgia Tech.”
With over 25 founding company members, the Consortium celebrated its first official year of operation in August.
Creating a Resilient Network
The Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium originally grew out of an 18-month pilot project funded by the Department of Defense Office of Local Community Cooperation aiming to increase defense supply chain resilience, assist Georgia manufacturers in adopting new technologies, and foster collaboration by connecting manufacturers across Georgia.
Those goals and more are tackled by the Consortium’s focus on “networking, engagement, and collaboration,” says Stebner. “It's not just a consortium for Georgia Tech to take money from industry and do stuff with their money — the goal is to create new resources that enable us to collaborate in bigger ways than we could otherwise.”
To join the Consortium, industry members pay up to $10,000 annually to access its network, intellectual property, and facilities. With a 10% membership discount for Georgia businesses and a 75% discount for small businesses, the Consortium especially aims to promote growth for small Georgia manufacturers.
“Memberships come with time at the Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility, which we’re expanding to be this test bed for autonomous maturation of research and development,” says Stebner. “The fact that we have what’s going to be an almost $60 million facility behind us as a mechanism and a playground for all these companies is unique.”
“Having a shared use facility that is fully equipped to solve manufacturing’s most interesting challenges is not only a perk of Consortium memberships,” said Executive Director Steven Ferguson, “but it also serves as a hub for innovation in manufacturing.”
Industry Innovation
Many consortiums founded by academic institutions are primarily focused on academic research.
“The Manufacturing 4.0 consortium has an industry focus,” said Branden Kappes, founder and president of Consortium member company Contextualize LLC. “It's more about how we take this capability that, at the moment, is trapped in a lab and transition from a wonderful concept into a wonderful product.”
The Consortium achieves that translation through shared intellectual property agreements, collaborative research initiatives, and an emphasis on creating an engaged and open network of members.
“I see camaraderie inside the Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium,” says Kappes. “I see companies that overlap and compete in some areas, are complementary in others, and are willing to build a bridge to advance the capabilities of both sides and the community as a whole. That type of mentality is very exciting.”
“This is one of the most highly engaged groups I have interacted with in a professional setting,” said John Flynn, vice president of Sales at Consortium member company Endeavor 3D. “It is an incredibly dynamic melting pot of all the different facets of industry 4.0 and digital manufacturing, bringing everyone together from that part of the supply chain to create what I know will be important and value-added projects, ultimately resulting in intellectual property.”
“We are able to connect Consortium members with subject matter experts at Georgia Tech and within the Consortium who have ‘been there and done that,’” said Ferguson. “At the same time, we are working with manufacturers to create novel solutions to complex problems through research engagements. Blending all of those activities into one organization is part of the magic that is the Consortium.”
News Contact
Audra Davidson
Communications Manager
Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute
Aug. 28, 2024
We have a problem with our current solar cells. They were built with very little thought towards end-of-life. Current solar panels tend to last twenty to thirty years. As those solar panels start to age, we are left with the challenge to think about how to recycle them. When the National Science Foundation (NSF) put out an interdisciplinary challenge for clean energy, Dr. Correa-Baena, Dr. Naomi Deneke, and Dr. Ilke Celik partnered to write a proposal to tackle recycling of perovskite solar cells.
Read Full Story on the MSE website.
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Caitlin Anderson
Aug. 28, 2024
The National Science Foundation has awarded $2 million to Clark Atlanta University in partnership with the HBCU CHIPS Network, a collaborative effort involving historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), government agencies, academia, and industry that will serve as a national resource for semiconductor research and education.
“This is an exciting time for the HBCU CHIPS Network,” said George White, senior director for Strategic Partnerships at Georgia Tech. “This funding, and the support of Georgia Tech Executive Vice President for Research Chaouki Abdallah, is integral for the successful launch of the CHIPS Network.”
The HBCU Chips Network works to cultivate a diverse and skilled workforce that supports the national semiconductor industry. The student research and internship opportunities along with the development of specialized curricula in semiconductor design, fabrication, and related fields will expand the microelectronics workforce. As part of the network, Georgia Tech will optimize the packaging of chips into systems.
News Contact
Georgia Tech Contact:
Amelia Neumeister | Research Communications Program Manager
Clark Atlanta University Contact:
Frances Williams